1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel method and a disposable device for producing precisely controlled incisions in the skin of a patient to permit observation of the flow of blood from such incisions in accordance with the standard Ivy technique or other methods for the determination of rate of blood loss or bleeding time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, devices employed for making a standardized reproducible blade incision for bleeding time determinations have included combinations of an incision blade employed together with a template having a blade guide slot such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,293. Aside from the obvious cumbersomeness, such a two component testing device presents to the operator test equipment which may give rise to faulty results because of the necessity of manual manipulation of the incision blade.
Sutor et al. had described in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 55, Pages 541-550 (May 1971) the "Mayo Automatic Lancelot" for use in producing incisions of a predetermined dimension in patients being tested for bleeding time. This device employs a spring loaded plunger which, when released, contacts and drives a spring-restrained rod-like member carrying a Bard-Parker blade a predetermined distance to produce the desired incision. The relatively complex mechanism described by Sutor et al. is clearly not suitable for a disposable device.